Arosea Life Balance Hotel

To look at the photos you’d think the balance in question was mostly a matter of some sort of pinewood deficiency. But the Arosea Life Balance Hotel, in Val d’Ultimo, in the South Tyrol region of the Italian Alps, is about more than just pared-down décor. Here the natural building materials and calming modernist design are mere backdrop — the unending series of health, wellness and relaxation offerings, in the spa and otherwise, take center stage. (Among them is the opportunity to bathe in freshly sheared sheep’s wool, which we are assured is not a translation error but a real activity.) And to these, of course, are added the various summertime and wintertime attractions of the Alps, which scarcely require enumeration.

All that pine in the rooms and suites was apparently chosen for its therapeutic effects, and whether or not it aids in respiration, there’s certainly something calming about it. Same goes for the wide open spaces, the walk-in closets, and expansive bathrooms — and if you’ve scored a suite with an outdoor sauna, then you don’t need us telling you what’s relaxing and what isn’t. Cap it all off with some health-conscious Italian cooking — best of both worlds, that — and a bit of oxygen-enriched water — can’t hurt — and you’re well on your way to restoring the balance.